LONDON — The global price of oil topped $100 a barrel on Wednesday for the first time since July, as continued tensions between Iran and the United States added to uncertainty over future supply.
The rise followed a statement on Tuesday by U.S. Central Command, which said that its forces destroyed five Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps oil tankers.
This screen grab made on Sept. 9, 2026, from a handout video released by US Central Command on Sept. 8, 2026, shows what the US military says is a strike on an Iranian tanker in the Gulf of Oman.
US Central Command via AFP via Getty Images
The IRGC followed those strikes by issuing a warning that all oil tankers in Kuwaiti and Bahrani waters should be evacuated.
Brent crude oil prices, a benchmark for global trading, climbed on Wednesday by about 2.7%, trading at about $100.57 a barrel for contracts with November deliveries.
The sprawling BP refinery is shown on Sept. 8, 2026 in Whiting, Indiana.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
U.S. oil traded at about $95 a barrel, up by about 2%.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
